Edinburgh Correctional Facility
Encyclopedia
Edinburgh Correctional Facility is a minimum-security work release center located in the middle of Camp Atterbury
, a military training
camp near Edinburgh, Indiana
. The inmates work on the grounds of Camp Atterbury and on road crews with the Indiana Department of Transportation
and park maintenance with the Department of Natural Resources
. The maximum population, which has doubled in the past year, is 320 adult males.
To be able to get into Edinburgh, offenders must have a clean disciplinary record and have less than four years left in their sentence. The last time someone attempted to escape was 1999, and an escape occurred on July 18, 2008. No deaths or riots have occurred.
, Camp Atterbury served as a detention center for prisoners of war
. After the war, some of the buildings were converted into a military training camp, while others were abandoned. In 1982, the Indiana Department of Correction wanted to open a work release center for men. They initially moved into one of the abandoned buildings. Three years later, the center expanded into a new building.
In May 1988, the increase in female offenders in the state forced the Department of Corrections
to find additional space for women. Thus, the men were transferred from the work release center to a prison in Rockville and Atterbury became a correctional center for females. Two years later, the change of inmates was reversed; the women went to Rockville and 112 men came back to Camp Atterbury. In 1991, the facility was renamed Edinburgh Correctional Facility. At that time, the superintendent was John VanAtta.
. Construction of a new building, which has yet to commence, has been rumored. Final plans of a new building are unknown. The original numbers that were assigned by the Army are still in use by the prison today. Inmates are brought in through building 641, and go out and come back from work in building 640. These numbers are used by the guards.
, which encompasses 3600 acres (1,457 ha). Some crews work for Johnson County helping to maintain parks or other county-owned places. Other crews work for INDOT (Indiana Department of Transportation) or the Department of Natural Resources at Brown County State Park
.
There are no sex offender
s or murderers within the facility. There are no female offenders in the Edinburgh facility, but there are female correctional officers, and site leaders. It is a “One Out” facility, which means a level one minimum security prison in which the inmates work outside the prison’s grounds. Edinburgh Correctional Facility is the only level one prison in Indiana to have a fence around it. The main purpose of the fence is to keep the prison separated from the military camp
.
Visitation is allowed 4 days a week, on Sunday, Monday, Friday, and Saturday.
Programs Edinburgh offers:
Also available in Food Service:
Camp Atterbury
Camp Atterbury, near Edinburgh, Indiana, USA, is a training base of the Indiana National Guard. It was planned just months before the U.S. entry into World War II. Originally surveyed and researched by the Hurd Company, the present site was recommended to Congress in 1941. Construction commenced...
, a military training
Military education and training
Military education and training is a process which intends to establish and improve the capabilities of military personnel in their respective roles....
camp near Edinburgh, Indiana
Edinburgh, Indiana
Edinburgh is a town in Bartholomew, Johnson, and Shelby Counties in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 4,480 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Columbus, Indiana metropolitan statistical area. Edinburgh was named in honor of Edinburgh, Scotland and for many years was pronounced the...
. The inmates work on the grounds of Camp Atterbury and on road crews with the Indiana Department of Transportation
Indiana Department of Transportation
The Indiana Department of Transportation is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Indiana charged with maintaining and regulating transportation and transportation related infrastructure such as state owned airports, state highways and state owned canals or railroads.-Districts:INDOT is...
and park maintenance with the Department of Natural Resources
Department of Natural Resources
Many sub-national governments have a Department of Natural Resources or similarly named organization:Australia*Queensland Department of Natural Resources and MinesCanada*Natural Resources Canada*New Brunswick**New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources...
. The maximum population, which has doubled in the past year, is 320 adult males.
To be able to get into Edinburgh, offenders must have a clean disciplinary record and have less than four years left in their sentence. The last time someone attempted to escape was 1999, and an escape occurred on July 18, 2008. No deaths or riots have occurred.
History
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Camp Atterbury served as a detention center for prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. After the war, some of the buildings were converted into a military training camp, while others were abandoned. In 1982, the Indiana Department of Correction wanted to open a work release center for men. They initially moved into one of the abandoned buildings. Three years later, the center expanded into a new building.
In May 1988, the increase in female offenders in the state forced the Department of Corrections
Department of Corrections
A Department of Corrections is a governmental agency responsible for overseeing the incarceration of persons convicted of crimes within a particular jurisdiction. Entities serving that purpose include:* Department of Corrections...
to find additional space for women. Thus, the men were transferred from the work release center to a prison in Rockville and Atterbury became a correctional center for females. Two years later, the change of inmates was reversed; the women went to Rockville and 112 men came back to Camp Atterbury. In 1991, the facility was renamed Edinburgh Correctional Facility. At that time, the superintendent was John VanAtta.
Buildings
Two barracks that housed WWII prisoners of war are still used for dorms to house the inmates. One other WWII building is now used for visitation. All the original buildings are still standing, though they have been renovated inside and out by the offenders. Two new barracks were finished in March 2007, allowing the facility to house more inmates. A trailer, which has been renovated, is used as a control roomControl room
A control room is a room serving as an operations centre where a facility or service can be monitored and controlled. Examples include:*in television production, the master control is the technical hub of a broadcast operation common among most over-the-air television stations, television networks...
. Construction of a new building, which has yet to commence, has been rumored. Final plans of a new building are unknown. The original numbers that were assigned by the Army are still in use by the prison today. Inmates are brought in through building 641, and go out and come back from work in building 640. These numbers are used by the guards.
Current information
Edinburgh is a Level 1 minimum-security prison, which means the offenders work outside of the fence during the day. Originally, Edinburgh inmates did their work release duties only on the grounds of Camp Atterbury. Then in 1999, the jobs of the inmates expanded to include working with DNR and INDOT. Edinburgh currently has 35 work crews which are sent out and assigned different duties every day. The inmates are responsible for maintaining the grounds of the entire military baseMilitary base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
, which encompasses 3600 acres (1,457 ha). Some crews work for Johnson County helping to maintain parks or other county-owned places. Other crews work for INDOT (Indiana Department of Transportation) or the Department of Natural Resources at Brown County State Park
Brown County State Park
Brown County State Park is an Indiana state park on near Nashville in Brown County, Indiana in the United States. The park opened to the public in 1929, and is Indiana's largest state park. It was the most visited Indiana State Park in 2008 with more than 1.3 million visitors per year...
.
There are no sex offender
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
s or murderers within the facility. There are no female offenders in the Edinburgh facility, but there are female correctional officers, and site leaders. It is a “One Out” facility, which means a level one minimum security prison in which the inmates work outside the prison’s grounds. Edinburgh Correctional Facility is the only level one prison in Indiana to have a fence around it. The main purpose of the fence is to keep the prison separated from the military camp
Military camp
A military camp or bivouac is a semi-permanent facility for the lodging of an army. Camps are erected when a military force travels away from a major installation or fort during training or operations, and often have the form of large campsites. In the Roman era the military camp had highly...
.
Work hours, visitation and inmate programs
The men can work 5 days a week from 8am-4pm or 7am-3pm, depending on the work site. Three-quarters of the men work every day. The kitchen is run by inmates 20 hours a day.Visitation is allowed 4 days a week, on Sunday, Monday, Friday, and Saturday.
Programs Edinburgh offers:
- Thinking For a Change (behavior modification)
- Inside Out Dads (for fathers to become connected to their children again)
- Nurturing Fathers
- Reformative Residential Re-Entry Program
- Civilian Labor Inmate Program
- Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program
Also available in Food Service:
- Inmate to Workmate (food service training)
List of superintendents
- John VanAtta
- Ron Anderson
- Paul O’Haver
- Mike Renihan
- Jan Resig
- John Hardwick
- Brian Pearson
- Frances Osburn